Grappling hook



May 19, 1931. STRAKA 1,805,604

GRAPPLING HOOK Filed Dec. 9. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 19, 1931. STRAKA 1,805,604

GRAPPLING HOOK Filed D99. 9. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

' Hnfon Shaka.

BY 01D 'y flm w ATTORNEYS Patented May I 19, 1931 ANTON sT'miomsimqn m Gmrtme 1 noon} Applieatioiifiled December-19, 1930. fseria No. -5o1,1s 3.

y This invention relates toimprovementsiin grappling hooks, and isparticularly adapted for raising or lifting broken. well tubing 7 a from a well, but it is to be understood that; 5' it maybe used for other purposes, andthel necting and lifting links; The invention also comprises means for. locking the parallel" ja ws against collapsing while being lowered into the-well and means is alsoprovided for preventingoexpansion or 'locking the jaws;

in position upon a piece of well tubing after the first mentioned means haspbeen auto-,

I matically released. Furthenethe invention: comprisesa novel construction locking iring: movable iupon the gripping. "jaws offlthe, crossed levers and limitedtagainst 11 Ward,

movementby means of stopscarried ythe parallel portions ofthe crossed levers, 1 ,Thepriinary object ofthis-invention, is :to provideadevice ofithe above inentioned character which is simplegin operation and constructionland which'z-may be manufacg view taken: on line Hof- Figurel, looking tured at aminimum cost:

730T A further object. of vth is invention, to;

provide a device of the abovementioned char,- acter whereby the vertical -pulL-on the conneoting 1 links will cause the gripping j aws tobe forced upwardly; in the direction ofthe I i viewtakenon line 5-5 of-Figurel, looking object being fished for. I

to provide crossedflevers having; one? of their ends provided with grippingmembersi and the opposite ends-connected together by links or levers suitably 'connected to a pole or lifting line. In thedevices ofthel' prior structures-means was not provided for preventing the expansion; of the rip;

H ping members, whilebeinglowered into position and upon the( broken well tubing or I other objects in the well, whereupon jtheo gripping jaws frequently would engageathej side walls-of the :well and become lodged M against. displacement, making-iit 'difiicult in. operation and performancea v-"m Heretofore, i has been common 'practice contouroof the vlocklng ring and the manner; inwhich itiis positioned on the-parallel porf-i The above; objections and disadvantages are overcome by providinga device in-whichi means is; provided for locking the jaws against. expansion while being {lowered into the well or tonthe casing whereby the jaws, WilljIIOt expand and engage the walls, resulting inzjammingandistieking, o

I Other objects and advantages of the inven tion .Wlll become apparent during vthe course I of the following description, forming a part offthis' specificatiomand in which, v

Figure lisa vertical elevation-of the in-,

vention showing the manner in which the expansion/lock i's slidably mounted, on the --par-' allel j aw; sections and also showingtheposi-I tion of the lock -for holding thejjaws in a set position,

Figure crossed levers i and the construction lot; the locking ring as associated with the parallelportions or; gripping jaws of the parallel levers;

' Figure is a vertical front elevation of the inventionshowing the same as applied in; operation, and illustrating the jaws presented to a brokenxwell tube or one which has become 4 dis'connectedfromthe line i; t

V Figure/l: is a transverse cross sectional in the direction of the arrows showing the tion ofthe cross levers whereby thesam'e may pass-lover the tubing when-in its downwardor lockin'gfpOsitiori;

Figure 7; is a side elevationallview further illustrating thegeneral contour of-one of the crossed levers; and, 1

:Figure: 8 another side Iele'vational view of the'c'rossedlevershown in Figure ,7; Intthe 'drawings, and wherein for, thepur V pose of illustrating-'the'invention, and where;

2 is a sideelevation illustrating mg the passage of a pivot pin or rivet 9. Each of the crossed lovers and 6 are provided with extensions 10 and 11 upon the outer ends of which are formed eyelets 12 havlng openings 13 for the passage of a'pair of rings 14. Each of the rings 14 are connected by a main ring 15 through which may be' passed a rope or wire cable suitably looped and fastened for lowering and raising the crossed lovers 5 and 6 in and out of a well or other restricted opening. 7

m lower ends of the crossed levers 5 and 6 are provided with angular portions 16 and lihrminating in spaced parallel portions 18 and 19 Each of the free ends of the parallel portions 18 and 19 are provided with gri members 20 which may engage an to est and frictionally hold the object against d' laoement 11 Figure 3, is illustrated the manner in which the crossed levers 5 and 6 are adapted to be lowered into a well andpositioned relative tea broken pipe or'on'e which has become dmeonnected from theline and the jaws are shown presented to the side portions of the pipe A ready for being lifted or hoisted out of the well. Means is provided for preventing the jaws 18 and 19 from collapsing while being lowered into the well and the means includes a latch 21 having one end thereof bifurcated as at 22 to provide furcation's 28. Thefurcations 23 are adapted to straddle the parallel jaw 18 and be held in placein a pix,

otal fashion by means'of a pivot pin 24 passing through suitable openings 25 in the fur cations 23. It will be noted that tl'mlatchv 21 is peculiarly shaped and is. arcuately curved downwardly toward the ends oi the jaws 18 and 19, preferably in the direction of the gripping jaws 20. The free endofthe latch 21 is notched as at 26 in order that the same may be guided. upon the straight parallel jaw 1-9 whereupon it is limited 1 must downward movement by a detent 27 suitably mired to the jaw 19 as clearly illustrated in Figure 1; It isto be understood, that when the crossed levers 5 and 6 are positioned in the well and lowered in close roximity to the broken tube or well casing t at the l atch 21 is engaged by the top of the pipe which moves the latch 21 upwardly relative to the jaws 18 and 19 and thereby allows the collapse or inward movement toward the pipe or casing ofthe jaws.

After the jaws have beenr'thus moved inwardly, and the latch 21 released, the lower portions of the jaws 18 and 19 are closer to: geflher than the top portions thereof which allows the downward movement of a retain ,tions of the parallel jaw portions 18 an ing or looking ring 28 which is slidably the lockin ringv28 is allowed to fall or move downward ly upon the straight portions 18 and 19 of the jaws and thereby lock the jaws into engagement with the object being fished from the well. Normally, the lower portion of the parallel jaw portions 18 and 19 are extended a greater distance than the upper portions and are held vin this position by means of the hutch .21, whereby the downward moviement of the lock 28 is prevented.

, For a consideration of the operation of the invention, attention is directed particularly to Figures land 8, wherein is shown the assembled device and it is first to be noted that as illustrated in Figure 1, the crossed levers 51ml 6 are in position to be lowered into the well as they are held in expanded position by means of the latch 21. After the crossed levers 5 and 6 are lowered into contact with the well tubing, the latch 21is aged thereby and is moved upwardly there allowing the weight of the crossed levers on the suspending means such as arope or cable to cans: the levers and jaws .18 and 19'to beimoved togather, whereupon the jaw faces-20 engage the pipe or line which are held in close contacttherewiath by means of the locking ring 28 which moves downwardly after the jaws 1:8 and have been released by the latch 21. It will be noted that the locking ring 28 is particularly constructed in such a manner that'the some will pass over the pipe or well tuhingwhen the pipe passes between the jaws 1-8 and119 and moves the latch 2L "In this manner, the locking ring 28 is moved downwardly by gravity and engages the lower (por- 1 thus holding the jaw taces 20 in close .relmtioii to the pipe or well T tubing and against It is to be understood, that the form of the inwentirm herewith shown and described is to be taken "as a preferred embodiment of the same and that various "changes in the shape, size'and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the'spirit and scape of theinvention as claimed.

awingg' thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. VA wellfishing tool of the character desa'ibed, oompri a pair of crossed pivoted levers, connecting limb co'nnectiw the upper latch 21 is released the lower portions of the jaws 18 and 19 are closer together whereupon ends of the crossed levers, parallel jaw porslidably inountedon the crossed levers for tions formed on the opposite ends of the holding the jaws inclose relation and locked crossed levers, friction gripping members se- ,p

cured to .the free ends of thespaced parallel portions,means pivoted to one of-the spaced parallel portions, having its free end engag-r ing the opposite parallel portion," a detent osition relative to the object being grappled. Intestimony whereof I aifix my, signature. 7 V ANTON STRAKA.

carried by the spaced parallel portion in close. 7,

relation to the free end of the first named means for limiting the downward movement thereof and a locking ring slidably mounted 7 upon the spaced parallel portions.

2. A well fishing tool of the character described, comprising a pair of crossed levers, links and suspending means connectingthe upper ends of the crossed levers, each of the lower ends of the crossed levers being pro vided witha spaced parallel portion, a latch having one of its ends pivoted to one ofthe l spaced parallel portions and its free end engaging the opposite spaced parallel portion of the crossed levers, means carried by one e site spaced parallel portion for limitingthe of the spaced parallel portions of the levers for limiting the downward movement of the latch, and a locking ring slidably mounted upon the spaced parallel portions of the I V levers for holding the jaws in a locked position after the release of the latch. V

3. A well fishing tool of the character described, comprising a pair of crossed levers, said levers being pivotally connected intermediate their ends-for pivotal movement, links connecting the upper ends of the crossed levers, spaced parallel portions formed on the opposite ends of the crossed levers, jaw faces 1 a secured to the free endsof thespaced parallel 1 portions, a latch having one of its ends pivot-1 ed to one of thespaced parallel portionsand its opposite end engaging the opposite spaced v V parallel portion, means formed on the oppodownward movement of thefree end of the latch, whereby the spaced parallel portions: 7 i

will normally be held in substantially parallel relation, a lock ring slidably positioned on the spaced parallel portions of the crossed levers,

means on the upper portion of each of the spaced parallel portions of the crossed levers for limiting the upward movement of the locking ring, and means for suspending the crossed levers in a well whereupon the latch may engage the object for releasing the spaced parallel portions and the locking ring will be caused to'movedownwardly uponthej release of the latch for holding the jaws in engageme'nt with the object being grappled.

4. A fishing tool of the character described,

comprising a pair of crossed'parallel levers, connected links connectingthe upperend of the crossed parallel levers whereby a suspension means may be passed through one of the links for lowering the crossed levers into a well, means associated with the opposite ends 7 of the crossed levers for engaging and frictionally holding an object, and a'locking ring 

